The total 'build your own rod' costs are somewhat variable, depending on the blank, the quality of componants and how much you might need to invest in tools and supplies.

I am curently helping two friends learn to build rods,the three of us are building rods based on the same blank, but with different componants...

Cabela's Stowawy 5wt blank = $30 (blanks costs vary $30 to $300, maybe more if you go for bamboo)

economy componants = $38
- alum reel seat and fittings
- fine grade cork handle
- black rubber winding check
- PacBay guides w/ black finish

mid range = $49
- hardwood reel seat
- alum. fittings with 'nickle-silver' finish
- nickle silver winding check
- 'extra fine' grade cork handle
- H & H guides w/ chrome finish

high end = $78
- burled tiger maple reel seat
- true nickle-silver fittings w/ with rope knurled sliding rings and matching winding check
- 'super extra fine' grade cork
- PacBay single foot guides in Tich (titanium)
- oversize stripper guide
- oversize tip top
- flip up 'fuji' style hook keeper

As you can see there is considerable price variation in the parts you select.

You should also consider rod finish, epoxy, masking tape, paint brushes, mixing cups and other 'expendable' items. If you are going to build just one rod these can be purchased as 'single use' kits. If you are building several rods there is a cost advatage to buying larger quantities. I guess I use about $5 worth of this stuff per rod.

If you don't have access to a rod turner you will need something to keep the rod rotating while the finish sets up. Mine is an old barbeque rotissere motor and some wood stands. I've heard of people doing it by hand, giving the rod a 1/4 every few minutes for several hours until the adhesive sets, I can't imagine the boredom.

You might also want a thread tensioner, I have had good results running the thread thru the pages of a phone book with a bowl of pennies on top, you can add or remove pennnies to adjust tension.

A rod wrapping stand can be cobbled together with a few wood scraps, or you can just cut some notches in the sides of a carboard box.

Other tools I have found very useful and just happen to have around...

- drill press (sometimes I need to rebore a reel seat or other component for a perfect fit)
- small lathe (turn you own custom handle shapes)
- variable temp heat gun (for un-glueing mistakes or getting air bubbles out of epoxy finish)
- dremel tool with various abrasives and cut off disks (for shaping and polishing guide feet and for cutting blanks to size)
- rat tail files (for shaping the inside of the cork to fit the blank)
- rubber gloves
- disposable paint brushes for epoxy.
- eye surgeons scalple and scissors (my mother-in-law is a nurse, these are really fine tools that are thrown out after surgery, these allow for very precice thread cutting and trimming)